Rationale

Marketing is a central function of all organisations that serve a client base. Identifying and meeting the needs of key customer groups is critical to achieving organisational objectives. This course provides an overview of the theories and principles of marketing required for effective business practice.

Synopsis

Marketing is a central function of all organisations that serve a client base. Identifying and meeting the needs of key customer groups is critical to achieving organisational objectives. This course provides an overview of the theories and principles of marketing required for effective business practice. This course provides an introduction to the marketing function of the organisation. The focus is on how organisations identify the needs of their target markets, understand the buying behaviour of their target markets, and develop a marketing mix (comprising product, price, promotion and placement) to satisfy the needs and wants of these markets. While the course has a theoretical base, practical application of the concepts of marketing to 'real-world' situations is an essential element.

Objectives

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

understand and apply basic marketing principles to both your local and global organisations, with discussion of implications for relevant stakeholders

demonstrate a basic understanding of the impact of different cultural contexts on marketing environments

demonstrate basic research skills required of a marketing professional

use appropriate digital communication technologies within a marketing context.

Topics

Description

Weighting(%)

1.

Module 1: An overview of marketing

8.00

2.

Module 2: The marketing environment

9.00

3.

Module 3: Consumer and business decision making

9.00

4.

Module 4: Segmenting and targeting markets

8.00

5.

Module 5: Marketing information and decision support systems and marketing research

8.00

6.

Module 6: Product and service concepts

8.00

7.

Module 7: Developing and managing products

8.00

8.

Module 8: Marketing channels and logistics

8.00

9.

Module 9: Promotion strategy

8.00

10.

Module 10: Pricing concept

9.00

11.

Module 11: Global marketing

9.00

12.

Module 12: Marketing strategy

8.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://bookshop.usq.edu.au/bookweb/subject.cgi?year=2012&sem=02&subject1=MKT1001)

The examination is scheduled to be held in the end-of-semester examination period. Students will be advised of the official examination date after the timetable has been finalised.

Important assessment information

Attendance requirements:
If you are an international student in Australia, you are advised to attend all classes at your campus. For all other students, there are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks. (Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course.)

Penalties for late submission of required work:
If students submit assignments after the due date without prior approval of the examiner, then a penalty of 5% of the total marks gained by the student for the assignment may apply for each working day late up to ten working days at which time a mark of zero may be recorded.

Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

Examination information:
This is a restricted examination. Candidates are allowed access to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the examination for this course are (i) Writing materials: non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination; (ii) Translation dictionaries: with the examiner's approval, candidates may, take an appropriate non-electronic translation dictionary into the examination. This will be subject to perusal and, if it is found to contain annotations or markings that could give the candidate an unfair advantage, it may be removed from the candidate's possession until the appropriate disciplinary action is completed.

Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.

Assessment notes

Assignments:
(i) The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must submit the assignment to the USQ.

(ii) Students must retain a copy of each assignment submitted for assessment. This must be produced within 24 hours if required by the examiner.

(iii) The examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. Applications for extensions should be in writing and must include supporting documentary evidence. Extensions are only granted in unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances. The examiner shall consider all documentary evidence (including statement from a doctor, employer, counsellor or independent member of the community as appropriate) accompanying an application for extension and decide on the outcome. Length of extensions: Up to one week extension (five working days) may be granted if a signed statement with supporting documentation is sent with the assignment, proving that an unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstance caused the delay, for example unusual and unpredictable work or family commitments. If the signed statement and supporting documentation does not show that unforeseen and uncontrollable circumstances were present for the days claimed, then the normal reduction in marks for a late assignment of 5% per working day will apply.

(iv) Extensions beyond one week are not allowed unless express permission is obtained from the examiner. Extensions beyond one week are only granted in extreme circumstance because model answers may be distributed after this time. If you are likely to require an extension for a longer period than one week, you must contact the examiner for advice. In most cases, you will be required to complete an alternative make-up assignment. However, make-up assignments are only granted if you have passed all other pieces of assessment for the course.

Medical extensions: In the case of an application for extension for medical reasons, the documentation should include a statement from a doctor stating: the date the medical condition began or changed; how the condition affected the student's ability to study; when it became apparent that the student could not submit the assignment. As a rule, you will be granted an extension for the number of working days covered on a medical certificate. In the case of a medical extension, you do not need to contact the examiner unless you require an extension of longer than one week.

Extensions for family/personal reasons: In the case of an application for extension for family/personal reasons, the documentation should include a statement from a doctor, counsellor or independent member of the community stating: the date the student's personal circumstances began or changed; how the circumstances affected the student's ability to complete the assignment; when it became apparent that the student could not complete the assignment. In the case of an extension for family/personal reasons you must contact the examiner before the due date to discuss the reason for the extension and to negotiate the length of an extension if granted.

Extensions for employment-related reasons: In the case of an application for extension for employment-related reasons, the documentation should include a statement from the student's employer stating: the date the student's employment began or the conditions of employment changed; how this prevents the student from completing the assignment. In the case of an extension for employment-related reasons you must contact the examiner before the due date to discuss the reason for the extension and to negotiate the length of an extension if granted.

Referencing in assignments:
Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide at http://www.usq.edu.au/library/referencing.

Text books:
It is the responsibility of the student to acquire a copy of the text books as soon as their enrolment in the course has been confirmed. Extensions will not be granted on the basis of the student not having copies of the texts, if the texts are available from the USQ Bookshop.

Word count in assignments:
Students must put the 'word count' for their assignment on the front page of the assignment. The word count is the number of words in the body of the assignment report and does not include the title, executive summary, list of references or appendices. Students will be penalised 20% of the available marks of the assessment item if they exceed the word limit.

Course weightings:
Course weightings of topics should not be interpreted as applying to the number of marks allocated to questions testing those topics in an examination paper.

Deferred work:
Students who, for medical, family/personal, or employment-related reasons, are unable to complete an assignment or to sit for an examination at the scheduled time may apply to defer an assessment in a course. Such a request must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. One of the following temporary grades may be awarded: IDS (Incomplete - Deferred Examination); IDM (Incomplete Deferred Make-up); IDB (Incomplete - Both Deferred Examination and Deferred Make-up).

Make-up work:
Students who have undertaken all of the required assessments in a course but who have failed to meet some of the specified objectives of a course within the normally prescribed time may be awarded the temporary grade: IM (Incomplete - Make up). An IM grade will only be awarded when, in the opinion of the examiner, a student will be able to achieve the remaining objectives of the course after a period of non-directed personal study.